An exploration of the help-seeking experiences of men and women referred to a rapid access chest pain clinic (a cardiac physiologist-managed clinic)
type: CreativeWork
description: Background Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death in both men and women worldwide. It is well documented that early diagnosis and treatment of CHD is associated with better outcomes. This has led to the establishment of targets to ensure prompt access to services for potential CHD (e.g. Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics). Research has shown that these public health targets have caused decreases in morbidity and mortality rates for CHD in the UK. However, despite these improvements health services are still limited by help-seeking practices of patients as they can only act once a patient has presented for treatment. A number of studies have explored the reasons why patients delay help-seeking for CHD symptoms in an emergency context (i.e. having a heart attack). Many studies have focused on gender and have often suggested that women with emergency CHD symptoms delay help-seeking, although this is controversial. Other studies have suggested help-seeking delay is influenced by multiple intersecting factors (e.g. age, ethnicity and contextual influences) and not just gender. No studies have examined help-seeking for suspected CHD symptoms in the context of accessing Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics (RACPC). Given the lack of understanding in this area, an explorative qualitative study was undertaken to answer the research question: what are the help-seeking experiences of men and women referred to a rapid access chest pain clinic? Methods A total of 30 men and women with a range of ages and ethnicities referred to a RACPC for the investigation of their symptoms were enrolled in this study. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews that focused on attribution of symptoms and how that, amongst other things, influenced help-seeking decisions for their symptoms. The data was analysed thematically to explore men’s and women’s experiences and the help-seeking decisions they made. The study findings and relevant literature were used to infor…
abstract: Background Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death in both men and women worldwide. It is well documented that early diagnosis and treatment of CHD is associated with better outcomes. This has led to the establishment of targets to ensure prompt access to services for potential CHD (e.g. Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics). Research has shown that these public health targets have caused decreases in morbidity and mortality rates for CHD in the UK. However, despite these improvements health services are still limited by help-seeking practices of patients as they can only act once a patient has presented for treatment. A number of studies have explored the reasons why patients delay help-seeking for CHD symptoms in an emergency context (i.e. having a heart attack). Many studies have focused on gender and have often suggested that women with emergency CHD symptoms delay help-seeking, although this is controversial. Other studies have suggested help-seeking delay is influenced by multiple intersecting factors (e.g. age, ethnicity and contextual influences) and not just gender. No studies have examined help-seeking for suspected CHD symptoms in the context of accessing Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics (RACPC). Given the lack of understanding in this area, an explorative qualitative study was undertaken to answer the research question: what are the help-seeking experiences of men and women referred to a rapid access chest pain clinic? Methods A total of 30 men and women with a range of ages and ethnicities referred to a RACPC for the investigation of their symptoms were enrolled in this study. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews that focused on attribution of symptoms and how that, amongst other things, influenced help-seeking decisions for their symptoms. The data was analysed thematically to explore men’s and women’s experiences and the help-seeking decisions they made. The study findings and relevant literature were used to infor…
author: Stain, Nolan
date published: 2017
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:01:44Z
provider: University of Westminster
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Westminster